Mussels With Spicy Tomato Sauce
ABOUT MUSSELS
I love mussels, and love them even more after visiting a mussel farm off the coast of Thessaloniki while we were filming season 4 of My Greek Table. Mussels are perhaps the oldest farmed seafood in the world – the ancient Greeks used to farm them!
Nutritionally, these inexpensive blue-black bivalves are impressive. They’re a great source of healthy protein and contain little fat, although they are high in cholesterol. But they are also abundant in key minerals such as manganese, selenium, iron, zinc, and phosphorus, and lots of Vitamin B for energy!
PREP TIME 20 minutes
COOK TIME 12 minutes
SERVES 4
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin Greek olive oil
- 2 shallots finely chopped shallot
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper or more, as desired
- 1 ½ cups chopped canned tomatoes
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- Sea salt to taste
- 2 pounds mussels scrubbed and debearded
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley divided
- Lemon wedges optional
Instructions
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Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallot is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, wine, and salt; bring to a simmer.
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Add mussels to the sauce. Cover and cook until mussels start to open, 4 to 5 minutes. (Discard any mussels that do not open.) Stir in 1 tablespoon parsley. Lightly toss, and spoon into 4 bowls. Top with remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and, if desired, lemon wedges.